Social media- that place where opinions are everywhere. Somehow I stumbled upon an interesting post that taught me that “crap” is a swearword inappropriate for work environments.
Imagine my shock at learning that saying the word “crap” implies that you are:
- Immature
- Lower class
- Rude
- Lower in intelligence
- Impatient
- Undependable
- Less educated
- Thoughtless
- Careless
The thought running through my head as I learned this most valuable lesson is “what else is a swearword that I didn’t realize?” Sucks? Jerk? Fool? If crap is over the line, I honestly don’t know where the line is.
But the real issue at hand is not whether coarse language has a place in the workplace (it does) but when is it appropriate. Sometimes coarse language can be used to lighten a tense situation – like letting the air out of a balloon. Sometimes it can be used to shock people into realizing the urgency of something that is happening. In still other situations it can imply a transition from sales/corporate speak to more honest/off-the-record speech.
If foul language is always off the table, you lose a tool from your toolbox.